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Fast Food
You do! Before you hit the drive-thru for burgers and fries, consider this: Homemade eats don’t have to take forever. The following five cookbooks offer quick and easy recipes for family favorites. |
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“101 Things to Do With a Casserole” Traditional Tuna Casserole 1 (12-ounce) bag egg noodles Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions and drain. Stir the soup, milk, tuna and cheese into the noodles. Spread the noodle mixture into a greased, 1-quart baking dish. Bake 15 minutes. Top with the crushed chips and bake 3 to 5 minutes more. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
2 cups frozen Normandy or California-style vegetables Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook and cut vegetables into bit-size pieces. In a greased 3-quart baking dish, combine all the ingredients except biscuits. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes, then remove the mixture from the oven and stir. Quickly cut the biscuits in half. Place biscuit halves, cut-side down, over hot chicken-and-vegetable mixture. Bake 15 to 20 minutes more, or until the biscuits are golden brown and done in the center. Makes 5 to 7 servings.
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“Family Dinners” Taco Stuffed Peppers 3/4 to 1 pound ground beef Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain the grease. Add the taco seasoning mix, 3/4 cup water, kidney beans and salsa. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes to blend flavors. Heat 2 quarts water to boiling in a large saucepan. Cut the peppers in half, lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Place the peppers in the boiling water and cook 3 minutes. Remove and drain. Arrange the pepper halves in an ungreased baking dish. Divide ground-beef mixture among the halves (about 1/2 cup in each). Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender but crisp and the filling is heated through. Top each serving with chopped tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
1/2 cup flour Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, milk and eggs together in a large bowl. Add seasoning salt and cheese. Add the onion, green pepper, ham, chiles and pepperoni, if using. Pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan that has been greased or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Makes 9 to 12 servings.
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“Fix-It and Enjoy-It Cookbook” Baked Scallops 1 pound scallops Rinse the scallops and pat them dry. Place the scallops in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle them with bread crumbs. Toss to coat. Place in a greased baking dish large enough to hold the scallops in one layer. Cut butter into bits and divide over the scallops. Pour wine into the bottom of the baking dish, being careful to not disturb the bread-crumb coating. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the scallops with Parmesan cheese. Place the dish under the broiler 5 to 10 seconds, until the cheese has browned slightly. Watch carefully to keep it from burning. Makes 4 servings.
Crust 2 cups uncooked macaroni Toppings 1-1/2 cups prepared pizza or pasta sauce In a saucepan, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in onions, Cheddar cheese and cooked macaroni. Spread pasta mixture evenly on generously greased 14-by-16-inch pizza pan. Bake at 375 degrees 25 minutes on lower oven rack. Remove from the oven. Top with your favorite pizza or pasta sauce. Using the back of a spoon, spread to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top evenly with pepperoni, olives and 1 cup of the other toppings. Finish by sprinkling with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes longer, until cheese is bubbly. Remove the pizza from the oven and slice with a pizza cutter into 6 to 8 slices. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.
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“Faster I’m Starving: 100 Dishes in 25 Minutes or Less” Simple Baked Chicken Breasts 4 boneless chicken-breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds) Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. For easy clean-up, line a large, ovenproof casserole dish or the broiling pan with aluminum foil. Rinse the lemon and cut it into 1/8-inch slices. Put the oil, garlic, salt and black pepper into a cup and mix well. Put the chicken breasts in a single layer in the casserole dish or broiling pan and spoon the oil mixture on top. Lay lemon slices on the breasts and bake about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is firm and white. Test a piece by cutting into it to make sure the middle is white, not pink. Large pieces may need to bake another 5 minutes. Serve immediately with the lemon slices in place. Or cook and serve at room temperature or cold. Makes 4 servings.
1 small or 1/2 large cauliflower Fill a large pot with water, cover and begin heating over high heat. While the water is heating, trim and discard the leaves and core from the cauliflower. Cut the rest into bite-size pieces and then set aside. Peel the onion and cut it into quarters. Put the onion and tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour the onion mixture into a large pot. Add the cauliflower, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt, black pepper, cloves and cayenne pepper and begin cooking over medium-high heat. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the cauliflower is soft enough to be pierced with a sharp knife. Add the sour cream and stir. Remove from heat and cover until needed. When the water comes to a boil, add the penne and cook according to directions. Drain and distribute into four bowls. Top with the cauliflower sauce and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
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"Mom’s Best One-Dish Suppers" Stovetop Mac ‘n’ Cheese With Ham & Peas 1 pound elbow
macaroni Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook the macaroni until just done, about 8 minutes. Drain and return the noodles to the pot. Place the pot over the lowest possible heat and add the butter, cheese, mustard, milk, ham and peas. Stir until the cheese melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
14 ounces flat pasta, such as farfalle Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in the water until just barely done; do not overcook. The pasta should still be firm. Drain and set aside. Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and garlic and sauté another minute. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano, basil and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir again and adjust seasonings. Meanwhile, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, egg and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a in medium bowl. Stir the pasta and ricotta mixture into the skillet. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 5 servings.
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You worked all day, spent an hour on the I-40 commute and still need to pick up the dry-cleaning. Who has time to make a meal?